AP Bio Lab 11A Animal Behavior
Introduction:
Ethology is the study of animal behavior. Behavior is an animal's response to sensory input, and
falls into two basic categories: learned and innate (inherited).
Orientation behaviors place the animal in its most favorable environment. In taxis, the animal
moves toward or away from a stimulus. Taxis is often exhibited when the stimulus is light, heat,
moisture, sound, or chemicals. Kinesis is a movement that is random and does not result in
orientation with respect to a stimulus. If an organism responds to bright light by moving away, that
is a taxis. If an animal responds to bright light by random movements in all directions, that is
kinesis.
Agonistic behavior is exhibited when animals respond to each other by aggressive or submissive
responses. Often the agonistic behavior is simply a display that makes the organism look big or
threatening. It is sometimes studied in the laboratory with Bettas (Siamese Fighting Fish).
Mating behaviors may involve a complex series of activities that facilitate finding, courting, and
mating with a member of the same species.
Exercise 11A: General Observation of Behaviors
In this lab, you will be working with terrestrial isopods commonly known as pillbugs, sowbugs, or
roly-polies. These organisms are members of the Phylum Arthropoda, Class Crustacea, which also
includes shrimp and crabs. Most members of this group respire through gills.
Procedure:
1. Place 10 pillbugs and a small amount of bedding material in a small petri dish. They generally try
to get out so cover the dish with plastic wrap or a petri dish cover.
2. Observe the pillbugs for 10 minutes. Make notes on their general appearance, movements about
the dish, and interactions with each other. Notice if they seem to prefer one area over another, if
they keep moving, settle down or move sporadically. Note any behaviors that involve 2 or more
pillbugs. Do not interfere with the specimens in any way.
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3. Make a detailed sketch of a pillbug.
Kinesis in Pillbugs:
1. Prepare a choice chamber. The choice chamber consists of two large plastic petri dishes taped
together with an opening cut in between. Several alternatives to this concept can be produced.
Take 2 plastic petri dishes and cut out 1 , 1/2 inch openings at the side. Place the petri dishes
together, matching the cut ends. Now tape the petri dishes together by placing a strip of tape under
each one. The dishes now can be used to test for the variables.
2. Choose your variables to be tested: Moisture, light, and set up the adjacent room accordingly.
Use a soft brush to transfer ten pillbugs from the stock culture into the center choice chamber.
Cover all chambers being used.
3. Count how many pillbugs are on each side of the choice chamber every 30 seconds for 10
minutes. Record your data in Table 11.1. Continue to record even if they all move to one side or
stop moving.
4. Return your pillbugs to the stock chamber.
5. Graph both the number of pillbugs in the wet chamber and the number in the dry chamber using
the graph below.
Table 11.1
Number in
Number in
Time (Mins)
Wet
Dry Chamber
Chamber
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
Other Notes
Graph Title _____________________________________________
Analysis:
1. What conclusions do you draw from your data? Explain physiological reasons for the
behavior observed in this activity.
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2. How do isopods locate appropriate environments?
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3. If you suddenly turn a rock over and found isopods under it, what would you expect them
to be doing? If you watch the isopods for a few minutes, how would you expect to see their
behavior change?
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4. Is the isopod's response to moisture best classified as kinesis, or taxis? Explain your
response.
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Student-Designed Experiment to Investigate Pillbugs' Response to Temperature, pH,
Background Color, Light or Another Variable.
1. Select one of the variable factors above, and develop a hypothesis concerning the
pillbug's response to the factor.
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2. Use the material available in your classroom to design an experiment. Remember that
heat is generated by lamps.
a). state the objective of your experiment.
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b). List the materials you will use.
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c). Outline your procedure in detail.
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3. Decide what data you will collect, and design your data sheet.
4. Run your experiment.
5. Make any graphical representation of your data that will help to visualize or interpret the
data.
6. Write a conclusion based on your experimental results.
7. Return your isopods to the stock culture.